Tourisme Montréal Blog » footballhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog
Fri, 31 Jul 2015 19:13:05 +0000en-UShourly1TELUS Vanier Cup Tailgate Photo Contesthttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/vanier-cup/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/vanier-cup/#commentsMon, 17 Nov 2014 16:48:11 +0000Jamie O'Mearahttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=92428Get in on a chance to win two VIP tickets to the TELUS Vanier Cup courtesy of the Tailgate Photo Contest. All you have to do is snap a photo of yourself acing our challenges and use #MTLMOMENTS. The more you successfully complete, the greater your chances of winning 2 VIP tickets to the TELUS Vanier Cup. • Make a fan pyramid in front of the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. • Show off your game face painted in your team’s colours on Sainte-Catherine Street. • Juggle footballs on the Mont-Royal Park lookout. • Form a line of scrimmage in front of your Montreal university campus. • Eat a poutine while wearing a football helmet in front of your favourite Montreal poutine restaurant. • Strike a football player’s pose on the steps of Place des Arts. • Do your best touchdown dance in front of your favourite Montreal sports bar. • Show off your Vanier hairstyle in front of a Montreal metro station. The more photo challenges you complete, the better your chances to win two TELUS Vanier Cup VIP tickets as well as a range of other prizes, so make the snap and get your ball in play! Draw for tickets: game... / Read More →

]]>Get in on a chance to win two VIP tickets to the TELUS Vanier Cup courtesy of the Tailgate Photo Contest. All you have to do is snap a photo of yourself acing our challenges and use #MTLMOMENTS. The more you successfully complete, the greater your chances of winning 2 VIP tickets to the TELUS Vanier Cup.

• Make a fan pyramid in front of the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
• Show off your game face painted in your team’s colours on Sainte-Catherine Street.
• Juggle footballs on the Mont-Royal Park lookout.
• Form a line of scrimmage in front of your Montreal university campus.
• Eat a poutine while wearing a football helmet in front of your favourite Montreal poutine restaurant.
• Strike a football player’s pose on the steps of Place des Arts.
• Do your best touchdown dance in front of your favourite Montreal sports bar.
• Show off your Vanier hairstyle in front of a Montreal metro station.

The more photo challenges you complete, the better your chances to win two TELUS Vanier Cup VIP tickets as well as a range of other prizes, so make the snap and get your ball in play!

It’s only fitting that Canadian university football’s Vanier Cup has a couple of bona fide heroes in their service on the occasion of the Cup’s 50th anniversary. And no, we’re not talking about warriors on the gridiron, but rather a couple of distinguished battlers who have lent their name to the greatest prize in the game in a rather big way.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) football’s Vanier Cup pays tribute to Major-General Georges P. Vanier, the former Governor General of Canada who hailed from Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighbourhood. During the First World War, Vanier led his troops through trench warfare, was shot twice, and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery on two occasions.

This year’s Vanier Cup game – the decisive, year-end championship match that pits university semi-final champs from Canada’s eastern and western regions – will play, for the very first time in its 50-year history, in McGill University’s Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. An all-around athlete and hockey player, Percival Molson won a Stanley Cup (professional hockey’s highest honour) with the Montreal Victorias in 1897. At the age of 16. He too would go to war, and he too earned a Military Cross for gallantry, although Molson would be killed in action in France in 1917.

His legacy lives on, however, and Canadian football is better for it. Located high on the southeastern of Mt-Royal, Percival Molson Stadium – which seats a comfy 25,000 spectators – boasts a commanding view of the city of Montreal. Home to the McGill University Redman football squad, as well as the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Montreal Alouettes, the newly renovated and expanded stadium is itself celebrating a stately anniversary as it turns 99-years-old this fall.

The Vanier Cup, which will this year be played on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 1 pm, is the pinnacle of the Canadian university football league’s season, and recent domination by Laval University’s Rouge et Or (“Red and Gold”) from Quebec City has helped fuel a tremendous surge in the popularity of football in Quebec and Montreal in recent years.

This year’s 50th anniversary Vanier Cup, a partnership with the Montreal Alouettes, threatens to be historic in many regards, and not just because it’s the first time it will be played in Vanier’s birthplace. There are a number of celebratory satellite events being planned, including a Football Fan Fest on Nov. 28. You can keep up with action as it is announced here.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/vanier-cup/feed/0Montreal Fall Sports Rounduphttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreal-fall-sports-roundup/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreal-fall-sports-roundup/#commentsTue, 16 Sep 2014 20:44:26 +0000Jamie O'Mearahttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=83729It doesn’t get more exciting than the fall months for Montreal sports aficionados: not only are all three of the city’s professional sports franchises – the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes and Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact – in full regular season swing, fans hungry for all forms of competition have a varied plate to dine on The Canadiens will open their season against historical arch-rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 8 in Toronto, and will play their home opener against the similarly vilified Boston Bruins on Oct. 16 at the Bell Centre. For the second time in recent years they will play without a de facto captain, instead sharing leadership responsibilities across four assistant captains on a team that will feature many new faces. Speaking of the Bell Centre, pro basketball fans will want to take note that the Toronto Raptors will jump off against the storied New York Knicks for a preseason game on Oct. 24 for the third edition of the annual NBA Canada Series. Following the January retirement of beloved star quarterback Anthony Calvillo after 20 seasons in the CFL, Montreal’s Alouettes have struggled through a rebuilding year, with the perennial Grey Cup contenders... / Read More →

It doesn’t get more exciting than the fall months for Montreal sports aficionados: not only are all three of the city’s professional sports franchises – the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes and Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact – in full regular season swing, fans hungry for all forms of competition have a varied plate to dine on

The Canadiens will open their season against historical arch-rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 8 in Toronto, and will play their home opener against the similarly vilified Boston Bruins on Oct. 16 at the Bell Centre. For the second time in recent years they will play without a de facto captain, instead sharing leadership responsibilities across four assistant captains on a team that will feature many new faces.

Speaking of the Bell Centre, pro basketball fans will want to take note that the Toronto Raptors will jump off against the storied New York Knicks for a preseason game on Oct. 24 for the third edition of the annual NBA Canada Series.

Following the January retirement of beloved star quarterback Anthony Calvillo after 20 seasons in the CFL, Montreal’s Alouettes have struggled through a rebuilding year, with the perennial Grey Cup contenders sporting an atypical 3-8 record at the time of this writing. All of which means little to the team’s loyal fan base: the striking outdoor Molson-Percival Stadium on the eastern flank of Mount-Royal is always one of the most exciting places to be in the city when the Als are in town.

In recent years football mania in Quebec has also extended to the Canadian university football championship, called the Vanier Cup, in large part due to the dominance of Quebec City’s Laval Rouge et Or, the current reigning champions. This year the Vanier Cup will celebrate 50 years of existence with several special events in coordination with the Nov. 29 championship game at Molson-Percival Stadium, the very first time the Cup has been held in Montreal.

If you missed out on the annual grand spectacle of the Grands Prix Cyclistes which took place across a broad swathe of Montreal on Sept. 14 (and which is one of only two elite-level, UCI World Tour–sanctioned bike races held in North America each year), it’s not too late to take Montreal Marathon and Half Marathon, a part of the international Rock’n’Roll Marathon Series which sees live bands and other forms of entertainment spread out across the lengths of the varying marathons. The 2013 marathon set a new record with over 32,000 runners from more than 30 countries. The 2014 edition, which features five separate marathons, takes place Sept. 28.

And if ultimate frisbee is more your flavour of outdoor fun, then take note of the 10th North American Grand Masters Championship for male players over the age of 40, and female participants over 35, which will be held on the grounds of the Douglas Hospital, Sept. 27-28.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreal-fall-sports-roundup/feed/0Sports in Montreal: the 2013 Montreal Alouetteshttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/sports-in-montreal-the-2013-montreal-alouettes/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/sports-in-montreal-the-2013-montreal-alouettes/#commentsThu, 12 Sep 2013 18:45:57 +0000Jamie O'Mearahttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=49291An interesting thing happened to professional football in Montreal in 1998: it was allowed to breathe. And almost as soon as the Montreal Alouettes inhaled high on the side of Mount Royal – a spectacular setting complete with scenic views of the city – away from the closed-in confines of the Olympic Stadium, their previous home, the people came. And when the people came, so did the wins… Indeed, when the “Als,” as they are known within the Canadian Football League (CFL), moved to the open-air Percival-Molson Stadium (nestled amongst the centuries-old architecture of McGill University), football in Montreal underwent a renaissance. The very affordable CFL games were now very accessible as well, situated a short walk from downtown bar areas such as Crescent Street to the south (with popular sports spots such as Hurley’s, Les Trois Brasseurs and La Cage aux Sports close by) and the storied St-Laurent. to the immediate east (the historic artery is lined with eateries, pubs and clubs of all manner, including one of Montreal’s best-loved sports bars, Champs). Montreal sports fans are known for loving a winner – they have little patience for anything else – and that’s what they’ve had with the Als... / Read More →

An interesting thing happened to professional football in Montreal in 1998: it was allowed to breathe. And almost as soon as the Montreal Alouettes inhaled high on the side of Mount Royal – a spectacular setting complete with scenic views of the city – away from the closed-in confines of the Olympic Stadium, their previous home, the people came. And when the people came, so did the wins…

Indeed, when the “Als,” as they are known within the Canadian Football League (CFL), moved to the open-air Percival-Molson Stadium (nestled amongst the centuries-old architecture of McGill University), football in Montreal underwent a renaissance. The very affordable CFL games were now very accessible as well, situated a short walk from downtown bar areas such as Crescent Street to the south (with popular sports spots such as Hurley’s, Les Trois Brasseurs and La Cage aux Sports close by) and the storied St-Laurent. to the immediate east (the historic artery is lined with eateries, pubs and clubs of all manner, including one of Montreal’s best-loved sports bars, Champs).

Montreal sports fans are known for loving a winner – they have little patience for anything else – and that’s what they’ve had with the Als now for more than a decade. In fact, since the move to the mountainside, the Als hold one of the best records in the history of the CFL with a 168-88-1 record from 2000 to 2010, which translated into eight appearances in the finals battling for the league’s top prize, the Grey Cup, which they’ve taken home at total of three times. It might also be noted that the Als are defending the CFL’s longest playoff streak, having made the post-season 17 times in a row. That said…

Almost halfway through the regular season, the Alouettes are sitting third in the Eastern Conference. The story again this year is coaching (general manager Jim Popp assumed head coaching duties after new coach Dan Hawkins got sacked after only five games) and aging all-star quarterback Anthony Calvillo (the 41-year-old QB – the CFL’s all-time leading passer – is currently suffering from a concussion). But as the Als have shown time and again in recent years, rallying from a deficit and coming up with a win is central to the team’s character.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/sports-in-montreal-the-2013-montreal-alouettes/feed/0SPORTS COME ALIVE IN MONTREAL: CANADIENS, GSP, ROGERS CUP, IMPACT AND MOREhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/sports-comes-alive-in-montreal-canadiens-gsp-rogers-cup-impact-and-more/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/sports-comes-alive-in-montreal-canadiens-gsp-rogers-cup-impact-and-more/#commentsThu, 31 Jan 2013 14:52:27 +0000http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=8522[www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HwHD1-A9Vc] From our beloved and storied hockey franchise the Montreal Canadiens to our surging soccer team the Montreal Impact, from hometown UFC hero Georges St-Pierre to the power and spectacle of the Grand Prix and the thrilling athleticism of the Rogers Cup, Montreal is a year-long destination for sports fans. And if you’re coming to town for the big game and you need a place to stay, we can help with that too.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/grey-cup-parade-2010-montreals-als-win-again/feed/0SPAIN’S WORLD CUP VICTORY: MONTREAL’S POINT OF VIEWhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/fifa-spain-victory-montreal-point-of-view/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/fifa-spain-victory-montreal-point-of-view/#commentsMon, 12 Jul 2010 20:41:16 +0000/blog/?p=2116Montrealers were on fire yesterday after Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup victory. Here’s a quick overview of the escalating excitement that finally burst out into a parade of joy on St-Laurent boulevard, at the Club Espanol de Québec, one of the local Spanish community’s main headquarters ( and home to some of the city’s best Tapas). Club Espagnol de Québec – 4388 Saint-Laurent Boulevard.

Montrealers were on fire yesterday after Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup victory.

Here’s a quick overview of the escalating excitement that finally burst out into a parade of joy on St-Laurent boulevard, at the Club Espanol de Québec, one of the local Spanish community’s main headquarters ( and home to some of the city’s best Tapas).